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ANATOMY OF A VARIETY SHOW: GMA-7's Studio 7

PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) dives deep into the ins and outs of producing a variety show in the digital age with GMA-7's newest variety program, Studio 7.

Musical variety shows have become a staple of Philippine television.

Since the 1960s, Filipinos have been fed with musical extravaganzas and grand production numbers.

By the '80s, GMA-7 lorded over Sunday noontime programming, airing variety programs which came by different titles, first as Germside, then Germspesyal, before eventually settling on GMA Supershow. All were hosted by the late German "Kuya Germs" Moreno.

The year 1997 saw GMA-7's more youthful and fresher take on musical variety shows, as it launched Sobrang Okay Pare, or SOP, featuring unforgettable numbers and segments. It was dubbed the network's "Concert TV."

In 2015, the Kapuso Network scrapped the concert TV-variety show format from its Sunday noontime programming. Instead, management launched the comedy-variety show Sunday PinaSaya.

While it enjoyed high ratings, Sunday Pinasaya was not enough to satisfy the demand from Kapuso viewers who continued to miss the concert TV genre.

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For this reason, Channel 7 gave it another try, but this time, for the prime-time arena.

This new show was called Studio 7, which started airing on October 14, 2018.

By February 10, 2019, the show aired its 17th episode.

Viewers might have noted similarities and differences between Studio 7 and its predecessors.

Studio 7 may have also sparked questions from people who are curious about the creation of variety shows on TV.

How are segments and production numbers conceptualized?

How are performers chosen for a certain production number?

Do TV ratings affect a production number, a segment, a performance by an artist?

PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) wanted to find the answers to these questions by going straight to the source: Studio 7's business unit head and GMA-7 Vice President for Business Development III, Darling de Jesus-Bodegon.

De Jesus-Bodegon, who is called DDB in the industry, gave PEP.ph a glimpse into how Studio 7 works, from being GMA's comeback show in the variety-show genre, to choosing the segments, to monitoring feedback from viewers.

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This PEP Special Report is divided into five parts: The Comeback of a Variety Show (conception of Studio 7); Casting and Directors (how the network tapped its regular hosts and directors); Conceptualization and Live Shows (how the staff conceptualizes production numbers and how tapings are held); Growth Pains (the early struggles of the show and how they overcame these); Ratings and Feedback (how the show deals with audience feedback and its TV ratings), and SOP vs. STUDIO 7 (how the producers want Studio 7 to live up to SOP's legacy).

Photos featured in this PEP.ph Special Report are shots of Studio 7 live.

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This is the Studio 7 stage, where Kapuso artists showcase their singing and dancing talent.

IMAGE Roselene Flores

COMEBACK OF A VARIETY SHOW

It has been three years since GMA-7 had a musical-variety show in its roster of programs.

In this span of time, rumors circulated that the Kapuso Network had been planning a reboot of SOP.

"So we thought, 'Yeah, let’s try something, anyway we have the talents for it already.'"

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Cassy and Mavy Legaspi, Kate Valdez, Kyline Alcantara, Julie Anne San Jose, Mikee Quintos, and Gabbi Garcia entertain the audience with their song and dance numbers. With them is Zel Bautista (holding a guitar), vocalist of December Avenue.

IMAGE Roselene Flores

The timeslot for Studio 7, which airs every Sunday at 7:40 p.m., was filled with reality show programs and sitcoms in the past.

De Jesus-Bodegon recalled that even GMA-7's chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Felipe L. Gozon—or FLG everywhere in the network—agreed it was the right time for a variety-show comeback.

De Jesus-Bodegon continued, "We’ve been trying that idea for a while. Pinapag-usapan namin, ganyan.

"After, when we were deciding what’s going to replace The Clash, meron pang iba, but the programming committee decided, si FLG, that 'Now it’s time, I think that is the better program, I like that better now.'"

While FLG would make suggestions, the network's upper management gave the producers the freedom to work out the show's content.

"So we have ideas, we dish it out. It starts with the pitch, and then you get responses, and then from the responses you put something out, wait for more feedback, and grow from there.

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"Wala siyang clear cut na, 'Kailangan ganito.'"

But from the get-go, the producers already know the one, single mandate from the higher ups: "You have to rate. It may be a mandate, but at the same time, as producer, it’s your mandate to yourself, e, na panuorin ka, di ba?

"They don’t mind if, 'This is what you want me to do now, then I’ll do it. If you don’t want me to do anything, fine.' Okay lang sila."

Apart from the new roster of talents, GMA-7 also tapped a fresh pool of staff to helm the variety program, led by TV director Miguel "Miggy" Tanchangco, concept director Paolo Valenciano, and musical director Mark Lopez.

Paolo and Miggy are part of families that are showbiz performers.

Paolo is the son of singer Gary Valenciano, and proved himself as a director for the 2018 Kapuso concert series, 3 Stars, 1 Heart, top-billed by Julie Anne, Christian, and now-Kapamilya singer Regine Velasquez.

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Miggy, on the other hand, is the son of Geleen Eugenio, the long-time resident choreographer of SOP and Party Pilipinas. Miggy also showed his chops for performing and dancing in the two shows.

How were they tapped for Studio 7?

The VP for business development reveals, "Si Paolo, siya yung kinuha namin sa Three Stars, One Heart. I have known him from before, napanuod ko pa yan nung nagba-banda banda siya."

GMA management sees no conflict with Paolo working as concept director of Studio 7, while his dad Gary is a mainstay of ABS-CBN's ASAP Natin 'To, Studio 7's indirect competitor. (ASAP airs on Sundays, and went head-to-head with SOP and its successors).

Of Paolo, the Kapuso executive says with a laugh, "Malaki na siya! He decides for himself!

"'Tapos okay naman siya to work with us, I asked him. He was excited about it.

"Meron namang cuts at times, pero as much as possible we open the show with the opening and close the show with the closing, or when we start singing, dahil live singing siya, you have to make it, you just have to make it."

"So ayun, I am happy dahil it means marami silang natutunan, they are able to go on their own."

Julie Anne San Jose shares a duet with the lead vocalist of December Avenue.

IMAGE Roselene Flores

With Studio 7, De Jesus-Bodegon hopes that the show will also leave its own, distinct legacy, like that of SOP's memorable segments.

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"I want it to also have a segment or names, kasi di ko na alam ngayon, e, di na natin pwedeng gamitin yung parameters ng SOP, because of the temperament of the audience, audience behavior. It has changed dramatically.

Darling De Jesus-Bodegon is GMA-7's Vice President for Business Development Department III. Her department specializes in producing specials and alternative programs, like talk, magazine, musical, and variety programs. She is known as the head of production of GMA-7's hit noontime variety programs SOP and Party Pilipinas. She also headed the production team of the reality competitions Pinoy Idol, Are You The Next Big Star?, and The Clash. Her unit also produced the weekend romance-drama Usapang Real Love, the talk show Yan Ang Morning, and the comedy-variety program Full House Tonight.